Impressive play of hues

Company that fabricates custom-glazed tiles exhibits mosaic work at Index 2002

The Index 2002 at the Dubai World Trade Centre is on. As I walked into Hall 4, towards the Canadian Pavilion, a huge mural of a horse in shades of neutral gold caught my eye. A mesmerising mosaic artwork, it felt as if the horse was rearing towards me with its faultless splendour.

The mural takes the limelight with its broken and charred effect. Mosaika Art and Design, a Canada based company taking part in the Index 2002, have specially created this artwork for the exhibition.

The word "mosaic" conjures up the image of a predictable kind of art in our minds – a combination of form and function. A durable and beautiful treatment for walls, countertops, floors and pools. So what is so special about Mosaika? Simply, the fact that they are the only company that fabricate and glaze their own tiles.

"The tiles we use in our mosaic are custom-glazed for each project. We have formulated 160 basic glaze colours and these colours can be mixed to create a virtually infinite array of hues and shades," says Safkia Siebrand, creative and technical director, Mosaika Art and Design.

Recently ranked as one of the top four companies in the prestigious "Art for Transit" programme in New York, Mosaika is growing by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1998.

A strong artistic inclination led Safkia towards achieving two degrees in fine arts, one in painting and the other in ceramics. Safkia soon came to the conclusion that mosaic was the perfect combination of both art forms.

"Mosaic felt like a strong culmination of all disciplines of art. It just hit the right chord for me." She got together with childhood friend Kori Smyth and started taking commissions for mosaic work.

Within a short span of time, their hard work and talent paid off and they started a proper business. Today, Mosaika Art and Design's headquarters is in Montreal, Canada, and consists of a tile-placement workshop, ceramic glaze studio, a classroom, design space and administrative office.

"Kori is the project director of the company and we now have a team of artists working with us. It is the mutual effort of all that has led us to where we are today. We have combined a modern aesthetic with exquisite craftsmanship."

What led them to glazing their own tiles?

"In the beginning, when we did not glaze our own tiles, we were always at a loss about where to get a wide range of colour choices. The only way I could find the exact shade needed was to purchase original smalti‚ which are rectangular chunks of opaque glass, handcrafted in Italy.

"They are characterised by an irregular, high reflective surface and come in an enormous range of colours. But they are also quite expensive and only suitable for walls," says Safkia.

This inconvenience was the deciding factor in starting a section where they would glaze their own tiles. "Now, whenever we want to do an artwork, we have a choice of thousands of colours and the exclusivity to play with our own subtle shades," she says.

"We do both original artwork as well as translation of other artists' work," says Safkia. For her, their most memorable creation is displayed in the Europa Royale Hotel in Montreal. "It is a mural of an exotic Indian desert scene. We used over 600 colours to create the depth and the correct effect," she reminisces.

"Another memorable work was the image of a woman bather diving into a sea of peacock feathers - a mirage of blues and greens. Most people mistake it for stained glass, whereas actually, it is ceramic."

For their display in the Index 2002, Safkia has carried with her a few remarkable mosaic pieces, which include the "Hand of Fatima" – an abstract landscape – and the image of a tiger, among others.

"We have made the tiger image with marble, making use of the natural colour of the stone. The same image has been replicated in ceramic also, so that one can see the difference between the two mediums."

Mosaika Art and Design specialises in large-scale murals, floorings, walls and pools and works with ceramic, marble and glass. Professional courses are also available. "In fact, we have many students from Dubai itself."

This is the first time that Safkia has brought her work to Dubai. "We are seeking representation. In fact, we have made a few contacts. This is one of the most happening places in terms of design and architecture and we are looking forward to doing the homes, palaces and hotels here," she says.